Yuji Horii
Reporting and statements that mention Yuji Horii.
Latest coverage
DRAGON QUEST INDUCTED INTO THE WORLD VIDEO GAME HALL OF FAME
The Strong National Museum of Play has inducted the Dragon Quest series into its World Video Game Hall of Fame, recognizing its pioneering role in the RPG genre and significant influence on the industry. The induction comes ahead of the franchise's 40th anniversary on May 27. The article also highlights recent HD-2D remakes of Dragon Quest I, II, and III for modern platforms.
DRAGON QUEST INDUCTED INTO THE WORLD VIDEO GAME HALL OF FAME
The Dragon Quest series has been inducted into the World Video Game Hall of Fame, recognizing its pioneering role in the RPG genre and its significant influence on the industry. This induction comes ahead of the franchise's 40th anniversary. The article also highlights recent HD-2D remakes of Dragon Quest I, II, and III available on multiple platforms.
Former Dragon Quest director says JRPG icon Yuji Horii taught him the series is "not about the storyline, the…
Former Dragon Quest director Jin Fujisawa shared insights from series creator Yuji Horii, emphasizing that the JRPG franchise prioritizes player experience and surprise over strict narrative. Horii's philosophy focuses on creating novel and unexpected elements that evoke happiness through emotional engagement.
Dragon Quest 11 S gets rated for Switch 2, potentially giving Square Enix a fifth bite of the apple
A rating for Dragon Quest 11 S on the Nintendo Switch 2 has surfaced in Taiwan, suggesting Square Enix may be planning another port of the popular JRPG. This follows previous ratings for other games on the unreleased hardware. Dragon Quest 11 S was originally released on Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation 4 before receiving an enhanced version on Nintendo Switch.
DRAGON QUEST SMASH/GROW, THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE DRAGON QUEST SERIES, IS OUT NOW!
Square Enix has launched Dragon Quest Smash/Grow, a new roguelite RPG for smartphones, with in-game campaigns and bonuses available until early May 2026. Players can receive Premium Transmuter Vouchers and Gems as part of the launch celebration. The game features a roguelite RPG structure with signature Dragon Quest elements.
DRAGON QUEST SMASH/GROW, THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE DRAGON QUEST SERIES, OFFICIALLY LAUNCHES APRIL 20
Square Enix announced that Dragon Quest Smash/Grow, a new roguelite RPG for smartphones, will officially launch on April 20, 2026. An opening trailer by Kamikaze Douga has been released, showcasing familiar Dragon Quest monsters and the protagonist's mechanical sidekick Roly, voiced by Toshio Furukawa. Pre-registration is available on the App Store and Google Play.
Square Enix announces it will integrate Google’s generative AI Gemini into popular online game Dragon Quest X
Square Enix is integrating Google's generative AI, Gemini, into its online game Dragon Quest X to provide players with conversational assistance and hints. This feature, embodied by the companion character Oshaberi Slimey, aims to help new players navigate the game. Square Enix is also collaborating with Google Cloud to expand AI usage, with executives predicting AI will significantly transform gaming within the next three to five years.
DRAGON QUEST SMASH/GROW, THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE DRAGON QUEST SERIES, BEGINS PRE-REGISTRATION TODAY, MARCH 17, 2026!
Square Enix has launched pre-registration for Dragon Quest Smash/Grow, a new roguelite RPG for smartphones, on the App Store and Google Play. Players who pre-register will receive in-game rewards. The announcement was accompanied by a new promotional video narrated by Toshio Furukawa.
Everything starts sounding simpler”: Dragon Quest creator on translating Japanese into English
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii and Paranormasight director Takanari Ishiyama discussed the challenges of localizing Japanese games into English. They highlighted how nuances in Japanese pronouns and speech can be lost in translation, leading to simpler dialogue in English. Voice acting is seen as a way to partially mitigate this loss of flavor.
"The Flavour Tends To Get Lost" - Dragon Quest's Yuji Horii On English Translations
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii and PARANORMASIGHT director Takanari Ishiyama discussed the challenges of localizing games into English. Horii noted that the nuances and 'flavor' of the original Japanese text often get lost in translation, resulting in a more simplistic feel in English due to fundamental language differences.
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii says English is "a simple language," so "the flavor tends to get lost in many ways" when translating games from Japanese
Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii believes that the English translation of games often loses the original Japanese flavor, making them sound simplistic. He acknowledges this is an inherent challenge with the language, though fan translations have sometimes captured the intended feel better than official ones.
Square Enix Frees Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake From Denuvo’s Grip
Square Enix has removed Denuvo anti-piracy protection from the PC version of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. This move aims to improve performance and align with the original vision of the classic RPGs. The decision is seen as a positive step for Square Enix's relationship with PC players and may set a precedent for future releases like Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake.
